Missile TOW
by iwritebadbutdealwithit98
Summary: Marinette makes it her mission to grant Adrien's humble Christmas wish. When she hears that he is particularly fascinated by mistletoe, she realizes the mission is do-or-die.


Flashing red and green strobe lights, loud music, and moving bodies filled the room. It wasn't really Marinette's idea of a Christmas party, but she was happy to support Nino's DJing and - Alya had a point - this was the perfect setup. Just as promised, mistletoe dangled from multiple spots on the ceiling. This would set everything in motion for Adrien's wish.

The party was turning into a battleground. Marinette had to make sure she'd get to him first, the trick with mistletoe was that it didn't exclude anyone; it wasn't a 'couples only' game. Anyone could steal Adrien's first kiss. Especially because she knew it was exactly what he wanted for Christmas, to be kissed under a mistletoe. She had confirmed it. Her elaborate plan to do so had been worth the trouble. Even though it had nearly been a disaster…

* * *

(flashback)

"Quick, my throne!" Marinette waved at the group of friends huddled behind her as she kept her gaze on Adrien's photographer. He was packing up and giving Adrien the OK to leave.

"You mean the cardboard box with fancy paint on it?" Alix studied the simple but impressive craftsmanship of the make do chair.

Marinette started to panic as Adrien glanced around with a bored look on his face. "Yeah, and my pillow, please!"

"Alright, alright…" Alix pushed the chair onto the snow and handed a large pillow to Marinette.

Shoving the pillow underneath her red coat, Marinette marched from around the tree she hid behind and sat on her 'throne'. Alya, Nino, and Alix stepped to her side and waited for Adrien to spot them. Marinette giggled as she heard Adrien's small voice from the distance.

"Père Noël?" Adrien took his hands from his pockets, looking over his shoulder before jogging excitedly toward Marinette.

Marinette took a deep breath as she prepared for a hefty laugh, her fake beard shaking comically over her small face. "Ho ho ho! What would you like for Christmas, Adrien?" Her best shot at a deep voice was ridiculous, only a naive child or a desperate loner would buy it.

Adrien beamed like a five-year-old, taking a final step in front of the golden chair and reaching his arms out as he turned to sit on 'Santa's' lap. He squeezed 'Santa's' waist, "Can you really grant any wish?"

'Santa' scowled at the pink-haired elf that was snickering with her back turned to Adrien. "Of course, I can!"

The throne caved in, bringing 'Santa' and Adrien a foot lower. Adrien raised an eyebrow at 'Santa's' hat, which had shifted backward and pulled the white wig with it, revealing a lock of thick, black hair.

'Santa' cleared his throat, "No wish is too big for me, I'm no stranger to miracles after all."

"Yeah, you've had your fair share of luck, haven't you, Ladybug?" Adrien crossed his arms and smirked, seemingly getting even cozier on 'Santa's' lap.

"LADYblargh-ogh-fo-ho," 'Santa' coughed as strands of his beard flew into his mouth, sucked in by his loud gasp. "I'm not Ladybug, I'm Santa Claus! Isn't that right, Aly- uh- Elf… Alyelf?" he turned in his seat, Alyelf nowhere to be seen.

Adrien pointed to the tree slightly to his left.

"Alyelf!" 'Santa' shrieked. "Stop flirting with Rudolph!"

Adrien squinted at Rudolph, though a red rubber nose and white eye makeup covered his face, he seemed vaguely familiar. "Nin-"

"Nintendo! You want a Nintendo Switch for Christmas?-"

"What? No, I…" Adrien blushed, "I just wanted… to be kissed under a mistletoe this year."

"You've…" 'Santa's' eyes sparkled, "never been kissed under a mistletoe?"

"I've never been kissed at all," Adrien laughed nervously.

The sound of an elastic string snapping echoed from behind 'Santa's' ear. He grabbed his beard, pinning it to his face. "I'll make sure your wish comes true! Merry Christmas! Ah… gotta go!" 'Santa' stood up - pushing Adrien gently to his feet - and ran off with his elves and Rudolph; a plush pillow falling to the ground.

(end flashback)

* * *

For now, Marinette had to hide in a bathroom stall and transform. Because as if this night couldn't be challenging enough, Ladybug and Chat Noir had been invited to make an appearance. It was the least a class filled with akumatized victims that could do for their heroes.

Ladybug emerged from the ladies' restroom, sneaking through the dark quiet hallways until she reached the music room, lights and muffled music blasting from the other side. The students started to cheer as she opened the door, causing a blush to spread across Ladybug's face. She spotted Chat Noir by the snack table with a plastic cup in his hands. He waved at her nonchalantly.

"Evening, My Lady," Chat Noir lifted his cup of Cola as though it were a glass of wine. "Care for a slice?" He gestured to the pepperoni pizza beside him, a beautiful portrait of Ladybug traced in the mozzarella.

"I'd rather have a slice of you," Ladybug smiled.

Chat's eyes popped out as he hunched forward and choked on his drink.

"I- I mean, I'd rather have a slice from yours," Ladybug looked around - anywhere but at Chat Noir - secretly fascinated by his reaction. "Wait, isn't there one of you too?"

Chat Noir composed himself and tried to look laid back as he threw his thumb over his shoulder. "They put me on a cake. And both of us together on a pie."

Ladybug flicked his bell, "How fitting, you are very sweet after all."

He giggled shyly, placing his cup onto the table and shakily pouring himself another serving.

"I guess I'll take the first slice then," Ladybug carefully chose a slice with what she figured had the least detail and took a bite. "Mmm, this has got to be the most expensive pizza I've ever eaten. I mean look at this artwork, how did they get ahold of this?"

"I'm just as surprised as you are. I'm gonna take a wild guess and say Chloe paid for it," Chat Noir tilted his eyebrow toward the plates, the logo from Chloe's hotel printed in the center. "Not that she'd ever eat any of this."

Ladybug chuckled. "Right. Aren't you going to have any?"

"Actually, I'm watching my figure."

"Please tell me you're kidding," she deadpanned, scanning his lean muscles.

He laughed. "Ok, the truth is I'm trying to avoid eating anything savory and oily. What with all the mistletoe hanging around, I want to make sure I'm pleasantly fresh~"

Ladybug froze, a string of mozzarella hanging from her lips. "Now you tell me?! Oh, God-"

"Relax," Chat snickered, "nothing a cold drink and a candy cane can't fix." He handed her his cup, "You can have the rest of mine and there's a bowl of candy canes right over there."

Ladybug took his drink and downed it gratefully, looking at the bowl Chat was pointing to. "Thanks!" She stepped closer to him and grabbed a candy cane, sighing with relief as she unwrapped it and bit off a piece.

Chat leaned forward, "Any chance you had someone specific in mind? That model boy was looking for you everywhere."

"Adrien? Is he here?! Where?"

"Uh- I saw him around, I'm not sure where he went off to now," Chat Noir stiffened. "Seemed like he wanted to be the first to stand under the mistletoe with you…"

Ladybug giggled into her hand, "Er, speaking of which, Chat Noir…" she pointed to the ceiling, "looks like you beat him to it."

The sound that came from Chat Noir resembled no living creature Ladybug had ever heard. It even rivaled the synthetic effects jumping out from the speakers. He pursed his lips and stared down at her. "You don't have to if you don't want to… you already had A-Adrien in mind..."

She shook her head and grabbed his face. "Two kisses in one day is a good thing, wouldn't you say?"

Chat Noir melted into a giggly fit. "Oh, of course!"

Ladybug leaned forward as she pulled him down. She watched his fangs peek from behind his slightly parted lips. This was her chance at a first kiss, or at least a kiss that wasn't obligatory in relation to an akuma. A true kiss. She couldn't feel the encouraging rush she had experienced during the battle with Dark Cupid. This was hard, it was scary. An electric shock strung through the gap between their lips and down her throat with a throbbing intensity urging her to lean forward and meet him, or maybe that was the soda she had just swallowed. She had a strange desire for Chat Noir's fangs to sink into her bottom lip. The moment their lips brushed together, she wanted to jump away from the spark.

But it was more so from the flashing of cameras and cheers of her classmates. It was easy to forget that she was attending as the star of the party.

"Well, looks like we've given our fans what they wanted, I'm gonna have a look around. Catch you later, Kitty!" Ladybug grinned nervously, placing the rest of her candy cane into his mouth and escaping to the back of the room.

"W-wait!" The kiss had been a gentle tease, subtle enough to miss if he had closed his eyes. He craved more, but he didn't want to chase after her. It was invasive, asking for too much.

He sighed, smiling at the students that tried to strike a casual conversation with him as he plucked the candy cane from his teeth.

Ladybug wove through the classmates from various class periods; turned out there were a lot more people she sat through lectures with than she thought. She just wanted to find one person and then bug out. A lot sooner than she had planned but perhaps she could ride the wave of passion and adrenaline to sweep Adrien into her arms and dip him into a deep kiss, then lie low for the rest of the evening as Marinette. Or she would run home and Marinette would never show up.

She couldn't face Chat Noir for the rest of the night; who knew a mission to kiss a boy could be compromised by kissing another boy? It was meant to be a quick kiss for the spirit of Christmas, the kind that's all in good fun and everyone forgets about the next day. It wasn't even that amazing of a kiss, she hadn't given it the chance. She'd run off as soon as she felt it's potential to be addicting. It wasn't fair. Or maybe it was, it was karma teaching her not to play such a game with a close partner. The spark that struck between them moments ago, to be thrown away and stomped out by Ladybug's uncertainty, how could she not have considered that Chat Noir had felt it too? And she'd left him with nothing but a graze of peppermint lip gloss and possibly oregano. A unique flavor that was bound to stay with him as long as she wished she had.

Even from the brief moment, she could remember his soft lips. What would they have felt like if she had pressed a little harder? But that wasn't a fair question to ask, not if she was the one who backed away. To be fair, she had made a promise to Adrien. It hadn't been a difficult promise to make, but a promise nonetheless. He had never mentioned a specific person to grant his wish, but she could wait around for him and see what happened. If anything, she could clear her mind after comparing how she felt with Adrien versus Chat Noir. A taste test to say the least. But she'd have to find Adrien first.

Ladybug groaned, slumped against a wall on the emptiest side of the room she could find.

"Looking for someone?" Alya appeared beside her with a friendly smile on her face.

"Well… have you seen Adrien?" Ladybug tried not to sound too desperate.

"Hmm, he might have left. Haven't seen him in a bit."

"Left?" she didn't bother hiding the desperation this time.

Alya nodded.

Ladybug sighed. "Thanks…"

"Sure thing," Alya waved awkwardly as the hero trudged past her.

It was time to turn in for the night. She didn't want to admit that Adrien was her main reason to accept the invitation, but it was clear by her reaction that it had been. As far as she was concerned, there was no other reason to stick around. Not as Ladybug anyway.

She slipped out of the room without any goodbyes, Marinette entered the room a few minutes later. It was time to dance the night away with her friends. The night went in a completely unexpected direction, but that was life. No point dwelling on it.

Marinette's aimless walking lead her to crash into something. "Augh! Oh, I'm sorry- Adrien?!" she blinked up in disbelief.

Adrien smiled. "Hey, Marinette!"

"I-I thought you had left…"

"Oh, I… well, I had to step out for- to talk to my father! On the phone!" Adrien chuckled stiffly.

Marinette's motivation and hope rekindled, and it showed in her eyes. "Well, I'm glad you're back then!" She stretched her hand out excitedly, unsure what to do with herself now that she was back on her original plan. "So… were you headed to the dance floor?"

"Uh, sure!"

That was her cue. She had to go for it! Regret it later if necessary.

Adrien continued, "Can't help it when it comes to Nino's musical touch."

Go for it!

Marinette grabbed Adrien's hand, "Then what are we waiting for?"

Adrien's eyes brightened as he ran after her onto the dance floor. They twisted and turned to the music, lost in the moment, almost forgetting the tingling sensation that remained on their lips. They jumped and stepped, moving around the room without a care. There was a determination in both of their eyes to let something go and have fun.

Their efforts would have worked had Marinette not pushed herself back and looked toward the ceiling. She panicked for a fraction of a second. Then she remembered her decision to let things happen on their own, took a deep breath, and looked to Adrien. To her surprise, he was not underneath the mistletoe with her. He remained slightly behind it, dancing with Marinette from a distance. She was a little confused, but assumed he hadn't noticed and simply moved on.

Adrien spun on his heel, taking large steps to his right in half turns as he gestured for Marinette to follow. She laughed at the rather disruptive dance move and skipped over to his side. She swayed her hips, watching Adrien take a step forward. He glanced upward and jumped back again. Marinette raised an eyebrow, following where his gaze had been. Once again, a mistletoe was pinned between them. She didn't understand, she thought Adrien had said he wanted to be under the mistletoe with someone.

"I'm gonna go grab a drink," Marinette gestured to the snack table.

Adrien nodded. "Sure, I'll join you."

They walked over to the table, where spare pizzas were being brought to the table. Marinette followed Adrien to where the drinks were, mindful of the mistletoe she knew was there. She watched as Adrien slid to the other side of the table before she could even take a step under the mistletoe.

"I think I'll sit down…" Marinette mumbled, steering herself to where she'd seen Alya sitting.

"Marinette?" Adrien called with genuine confusion in his voice.

He heard a familiar voice approach from behind him, complaining about the sweaty dancers. "Adrikins!"

"Hey, Chlo."

"Ohh! Look, you're under the mistletoe!"

Adrien looked up at the mistletoe that was far to his left. "No, I'm not."

Chloe pointed proudly to her headband, a wire dangling a leafy branch over their heads.

Adrien shook his head. "That's holly, not mistletoe." He walked away, ignoring Chloe's protest.

* * *

"No way he's avoiding you, girl, it must be some sort of misunderstanding." Alya patted Marinette's hand, "Everything's gonna be okay."

"But I saw him step back twice! As soon as he noticed the mistletoe, he did it on purpose."

Alya's glasses caught the light. "Oh?" She turned over to the DJ across the room - the very sexy DJ - willing him to look at her. She widened her eyes, furrowing her eyebrows as she pursed her lips.

* * *

Nino gasped stiffly, quickly lifting an aux cord into his phone and fading the music into his playlist.

Kim approached Nino as he removed his headphones and made his way toward Alya. "What's going on, Nino, where are you headed?"

Nino placed his hand on Kim's shoulder. "Possibly to certain death, although I don't know why. If I don't come back, just make sure the music never stops playing, ok?"

Kim nodded firmly. "No problem, dude."

Nino marched toward Alya, slowly noticing Marinette sitting beside her with a dejected expression. "What's wrong?"

Alya peered over the brim of her glasses, "Adrien."

Nino gasped. "Adrien?!"

She guided Nino's gaze with her eyes, over to where Adrien stood. "There's something I need him to understand, go over there and tell him-"

"WOah, woah… first I gotta know what he did?"

"Nothing. And that's exactly the problem. He's been avoiding Marinette whenever a mistletoe appeared without saying a word."

Nino rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe… he's just not in the mood for kissing right now?"

"Who in their right mind would step onto that dance floor," Alya pointed to the minefield of mistletoe, "If they didn't want an absolute smooching fest? Just look at all those lovebirds. And then there's Adrien, tip-toeing around and playing innocent."

Nino looked at Adrien, laughing with Max by the bubble machine. "I'll talk to him," he turned and made a beeline for Adrien.

Marinette appeared to snap out of a daze. "Wha- wait, what's he doing?! What's he gonna tell Adrien?!"

"Don't worry, Mari, Nino knows how to handle Adrien. I just think he needs to know that something he did has been bothering you. He's in the same boat as you, really. He has no idea what's going on because you didn't tell him anything either."

"Ah, oops…"

"Just to be clear, we can agree that you had no expectations that he should like you back or even feel obligated to kiss you, right?" Alya wrapped her arm around Marinette.

Marinette shook her head with disgust, "No, of course not. All I want is to know why he was backing away." She glanced up to see that Adrien and Nino had disappeared, "Where did they go?"

"I'm… not sure."

Marinette shot up from her chair, "No no no, I never meant for this to get so serious. I can't let things get out of hand!"

She darted forward, trying to spot Adrien or Nino anywhere around her. She slowed to a stop when she heard the upbeat music fade away. Adrien stepped into her view. Soft violins played over the speakers, gradually joined by a piano. The keys climbed up and down with a delicacy, much like raindrops.

"May I have this dance?" Adrien reached his hand out. The violins dropped an octave and became louder as the piano keys sped up ever so slightly.

She took his hand without hesitance, wonder in her eyes.

"Marinette," Adrien wrapped his arm around her waist, leading their slow dance as the music flowed with them. Somehow it reminded Marinette of the day the met, Adrien holding his umbrella over her head as they stood in the rain. "I'm really sorry I hurt your feelings."

"No! It's fine-"

"Seriously, I… I can see how my actions could have been misinterpreted and I should have talked to you about it," Adrien hung his head, his breath brushing against Marinette's forehead. "The truth is, I was worried I would make you uncomfortable, so I kept my distance."

Marinette found herself laughing. The combination of sweetness and absurdity was overwhelming.

"I shouldn't have decided that for myself. This song that's playing right now, I wrote it months ago for Ladybug. I played the piano and Nino helped me with the rest. But I asked Nino to play it for you because it felt right. Part of me really wanted to… kiss you tonight, but-" Adrien stopped them right underneath a mistletoe, "I'm leaving it up to you. If you wanted to-"

Marinette reached for Adrien's face. She was done overthinking things and letting opportunities slip away. What she saw in Adrien's eyes was that very opportunity. She leaned forward, standing on the tips of her toes instead of pulling him down. She felt his lips against hers and did not pull back.

A cymbal clashed through the violins.

She kissed him; she felt a familiar softness to his lips were and noticed how they became softer and warmer as she pressed harder.

He kissed her back; tasting a hint of peppermint and maybe a bit of oregano.

Their eyes shot open.


End file.
